Han Solo. Where do I begin? He’s cool, funny, excellent in combat, and yet he can’t seem to escape debates & controversy among fans whether its about shooting first or the casting of Alden Ehrenreich. There’s a lot to go into when I think about him. He’s cocky, full of danger, and has serious bravado with his outrageous flight maneuvers; but he also does manage to have a heart. Even little things like the way he composes himself and shoots his blaster have always stood out to me.
In addition, Star Wars is one of Harrison Ford’s early films (after American Grafitti), so it’s always fun to see how young and charismatic he is.
He’s definitely got a lot of charm, plus the ability to inject levity at times. One of my favourite examples is when he and Luke are being brought to the sarlaac pit in Return of the Jedi and he’s making little sarcastic comments. And there’s also the classic moment from A New Hope when he tries to handle a call in the Deathstar only to blast the thing and say, “Boring conversation anyway.”
And even though he seems self-centered, he definitely recognizes and admires qualities in others. A good example being from A New Hope when he tells Luke that he’s pretty good in battle and invites him along after they flee the Deathstar. And even though Han leaves with his reward, he ends up coming back to save Luke during the trench run and you realize that he does care. Then there’s the part when he saves Luke once again but from the intense cold weather on Hoth.
Okay… whose idea was it to make a toy of this scene?
I’ve always felt that Han was a simple character, and in some ways it definitely feels like he is. That’s not a bad thing though, simple is effective. But the way he’s written, combined with Harrison Ford’s acting choices, makes for a pretty well-layered and likeable character. And of course, there’s not a whole lot we’ve known about his background, so he becomes all the more intriguing.
Of course, that has changed now with the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story. And I just got back from seeing it earlier today, so here’s a quick little spoiler-free review!
Directed by Ron Howard, Solo: A Star Wars Story is a side-film much like Rogue One; but instead of going into the conflict between the rebellion and the empire, it focuses on a very different side of the Star Wars universe with its own action-packed story. It has nods and references to other things from the original trilogy, as well as unexpected surprises. The film is very much a heist-film with some touches that make it feel like a western at times, and that further adds to the fun. On top of that, it’s a very well-contained story that requires no other knowledge of the characters. Anyone new to the franchise can definitely find a lot to enjoy here.
The main focus is, of course, on Han Solo as he tries to reach his goal of becoming a pilot. He takes risks and ends up exploring the criminal underground in an attempt to get a ship, start a new life, and be the best pilot in the galaxy.
As he goes into the smuggler lifestyle, he meets and works alongside criminals who have many things to teach him. Through his many interactions, he meets everyone’s favourite wookie Chewbacca as well as Lando Calrissian, played brilliantly by the multi-talented Donald Glover. The other supporting characters are cool too, including Woody Harrelson as the lead smuggler he learns from, and Emilia Clarke as Han’s girlfriend Qi’ra. As they all try to work together, craziness ensues and he gradually gets more savvy and bold with the way he handles situations.
In short, this is Han before he became the Han we know from the original trilogy, and there are enough little moments that hint at how he’ll fully become later on.
The fact that Alden Ehrenreich doesn’t look exactly like a young Harrison Ford has been rather controversial among some fans, but I feel that Disney and Lucasfilm made the right choice in casting him. He gives off a scruffy-enough yet charismatic vibe and does a good job capturing little things that feel familiar, and yet he also makes it his own.
The interaction with him and the other characters is where Alden and the film really shine. Seeing Han talk with Chewie, for instance, feels just like the interactions between them from the other films. I won’t spoil how they meet, but it’s a very entertaining first meeting that has plenty of humor as they start to get used to each other.
I went into this optimistic, and came out of the theatre very happy. I do hope that they explore other things with Han, so it’ll be fun to see if they bring him into other side-films (like the recently announced Boba Fett spin-off) or a direct sequel to this. I was expecting more cameos, but I feel like too much might’ve sidetracked the film at the cost of throwing things in just for fan-service. In my opinion, it had enough references without taking attention from the main plot, so I’d say there was a good balance.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is definitely a movie I recommend. I hope people go into this with an open mind, they’d be missing out on a really cool experience. The action sequences are easily among the series’ best, the humor is well handled, and John Powell’s score brings a lot of excitement, even using familiar themes here and there. I’m especially glad that Lawrence Kasdan helped write the script, as the pacing felt just right and his passion for the character really shows.
In summation, Han Solo is an awesome character and it’s not hard to see why he’s so beloved. All these reasons behind his popularity may explain why fans are against or just nervous at the idea of recasting him; but it might just be a Harrison Ford thing, as some don’t even like the idea of recasting Indiana Jones.
Personally, I feel that if filmmakers have stories to tell and want to recast someone, they should go for it. And now that they have, I hope to see more installments. I’m curious to see what else they could do with the character. This is definitely the most fun I’ve had watching a Star Wars film in a while, I definitely liked it more than Episodes 7 and 8.
Until next time, always hold onto something before making the jump to lightspeed. Thanks for reading! 🙂
Kasey Lewis - Actor, Writer, Creator 